What Never Dies
by Tessa Honeybee
Summary: Annabelle is reunited with Ironhide after his death. Re-uploaded


Over the years, Annabelle had learned to look up to Sam like a big brother. At home, she was a sweet little princess. When Sam showed up, she ran around screaming and wildly laughing. Annabelle was always happiest when she was playing games with Sam. She loved the games that had no rules the most. Sam was always willing to babysit Annabelle because he loved talking to her. She was lovely and innocent in every way, and she always knew how to make Sam smile. As Sam grew older though, he had a lot less free time than Annabelle did, and he spent all of his time devoted to Carly and their 'normal' life together. Sam no longer hung out with little Annabelle, doing silly things and goofing off at the Autobot base. The fact was, both Sam and Annabelle were growing up. But Sam was growing up faster than Annabelle wanted him to. So the two friends went their separate ways.

They didn't reunite until after the 'Dark of the Moon' incident was covered up (again). When all the human Autobot representatives (including Sam, Carly, Leo, etc...) were called to meet at Autobot HQ to discuss what to do next, Sam saw Annabelle there with her father. Annabelle was silently excused from the meeting by her father when tiny rivers of tears started to run down her face. It didn't take long for Sam to figure out what was upsetting Annabelle so much. 'Poor kid.' Sam thought as he caught a glimpse of the crying child running away. She missed Ironhide.

During the meeting it was confirmed that NEST buildings would stay open as the Autobots' home since few Autobots had human charges that they could stay with. Those Autobots who lost their lives in battle would be revived by the Matrix. All Autobots would be welcome to come to Earth. No secrets between humans and Autobots would ever be hidden away again. And that was about all Sam caught out of the meeting. (Its not that Sam was bored to death or he wasn't paying attention, he just got a little lost in all the political talk.) Sam was the first one out of his chair when the meeting concluded. Bumblebee transformed and opened his doors for both Carly and Sam but Sam stepped around his car, and left the room and everyone's staring eyes behind him.

Sam knew exactly where to look for Annabelle. On his way to Ironhide's vacant room, he made a note that Ironhide's room was just past the med bay. Out of curiosity, Sam poked his head inside to see Ratchet's current patient. To his delight, he saw exactly who he wanted to see. Now Sam was running down the hall, his excitement being too much to contain! He was on a mission. Annabelle had to know about what he'd seen and he had to tell her now! Sam suddenly skidded to a stop in front of the doorway to Ironhide's room. An eerie feeling washed over him. He didn't know why, but something felt very wrong about stepping inside a dead mech's room. But Annabelle was inside, so it had to be okay. Sam took the first step inside and Annabelle spoke up from the top of Ironhide's berth.

"Ironhide didn't die Sam. He was murdered by Sentinel Prime. Sentinel was a Prime! He was supposed to protect us, and he killed Ironhide!" Annabelle gasped in between sobs. Despite Sam's feelings for the room earlier, he rushed inside and lifted himself up onto Ironhide's berth and sat next to Annabelle to comfort her. Sam wrapped her in a hug and held her close.

"It's okay 'Belle. I know this is hard for you, but if you can put on a brave face till we get to the med bay, I promise you'll feel a whole lot better." Annabelle dried her tears with her shirt sleeve.

"What's in the med bay?" Sam gave her a mischievous smile and hopped down from the berth.

"You'll have to find out." Sam teased. Annabelle was not amused.

"If this is a game Sam, I don't want to play."

"Since when do you not want to play games?" Sam challenged. He grabbed her hot pink flip flop off her tiny left fairy foot and started running. Annabelle screamed because she had so little time to contemplate what was going on. When she realized what the trickster had done she took off after him screaming.

"HEY! GIVE THAT BACK SAM OR ELSE!" As Annabelle continued to scream at Sam every threat a five year old could think of, Sam laughed at himself for acting like such a little kid.

Just inside the med bay, Optimus Prime ignited a spark from the Matrix and gave an Autobot his life back. The Autobot's chest glowed blue until the light formatted itself into a living spark. Optimus Prime's relief was short lived. Strangely, the Autobot did not 'explode back to life' as Optimus Prime and Sentinel Prime had both done. Ratchet, who was standing close by, was also worried. Scans showed that their Autobot comrad was alive, but not quite conscious yet. Not a word was spoken. Though their comrad was living, he showed no other sign of life other than his spark. His optics were still dark and there was absolutely no activity inside his processor of any sort. Everything about him seemed to be dead, other than the spark in his chest which was clearly alive. Optimus Prime wondered if he'd done the right thing. Were some beings not meant to be resurrected? Was it really his time to go? They could only wait now. Wait and see if their comrad would ever wake up.

In the hallway, Sam had given Annabelle her flip flop back. Annabelle gladly snatched it from his hand and leaned against the wall to put it back on. She quickly realized where they were. They were standing just a few feet away from the Autobot sized med bay door. Annabelle glared at Sam.

"Okay you got me down here!" She growled. "Now what?"

"Annabelle." Sam said calmly. "Ironhide's death was too soon and it wasn't fair. No one can change that. But like I said, I really think you'll feel better if you go inside the med bay. Ironhide's in there now and... Well I think it would help if you got the chance to you know... say goodbye to him one last time." Sam wasn't sure what he had said wrong, but what ever it was, it sent Annabelle into a screaming fit. She was about to run away, when Sam grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her inside the med bay. Optimus Prime and Ratchet looked up to see the two humans tumble into the med bay, one of them kicking and screaming at the other.

"LET ME GO SAM! RIGHT NOW!"

"Not till you see him!"

"NO!"

"Why not?"

"I DON'T WANNA REMEMBER HIM AS A PILE OF BROKEN PARTS!"

"Will you just look at him?"

"NO!"

While Optimus Prime and Ratchet stood in confusion watching the scene play out in front of them, energon started to flow. Inside Ironhide's body, energon slowly made its way from the spark to his systems. The energon flow awoke his processor and automatically onlined his optics. When Ironhide came to, he heard the most glorious sound. Annabelle. He could hear her voice loud and clear. She didn't sound too happy, but it was still her. The little girl who he'd loved and protected ever since the day Will introduced him to his family. Next thing Ironhide noticed was that he was lying down on a berth in the med bay. Between Optimus and Ratchet, Ironhide watched his charge and Bumblebee's charge have their argument. Annabelle was struggling to run away while Sam was pushing her forward.

"I can't believe you'd be so stupid Sam! Cuz if you think, me seeing Ironhide's COLD, OFFLINE, RUSTED CORPSE is gonna make ANYONE feel ANY better...Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" In mid rant, Annabelle caught sight of Ironhide, who was very much alive and smiling at her. She screamed at the top of her lungs and ran to him with her arms open wide. Optimus lifted her onto the berth. Annabelle wrapped her arms around Ironhide's neck and cried into his metal shoulder. Ironhide hugged her back with one hand. Moments later Sam was lifted onto the berth next to Ironhide and Annabelle.

"I'm not even gonna say I told you so." Sam said to Annabelle with a large grin. Annabelle mumbled something to him with her eyes still crying tears of joy and her face still buried in Ironhide's shoulders. Sam just patted her on the back.

As the day continued on, there were many more resurrections from the Matrix. Autobots, including Que, Jazz, Chromia, and Elita One came back to life. There were also some Autobots who were not resurrected because they told Optimus that they didn't want any second chances. If it was their time to die then so be it. So those Autobots who had only been on Earth for a short time and had chosen this, were left to rest in peace. Eventually Sam, Carly, Wheelie, Brains, Bumblebee, and Jazz drove home together. By the time all of the excitement died down, Annabelle decided she was ready to go home too. The drive home was uneventful. Ironhide stayed quiet and often let Will take over driving so he could contemplate every detail of what happened while he was dead. Sentinel Prime was a traitor. Cybertron was without a doubt, lost forever. Some humans risked their lives for the Autobot cause. Some humans sacrificed their lives for the Decepticon cause. Optimus Prime killed his teacher and his brother to protect Earth. The Decepticons were all dead and the Autobots...won! The war was finally over. He could finally say that he lived to see the last day of the war! Every sacrifice he'd ever made for his Autobot and human comrads was worth it! Autobots and humans won this war together. This was Ironhide's greatest victory. Ironhide pulled into the Lennoxs' driveway and let Will and Sarah exit. When Annabelle didn't move from her seat, her parents seemed a little worried.

"Annabelle?" Her mother questioned. "Are you feeling okay?" Annabelle looked up at her and smiled innocently.

"Can we have a moment alone?" Her parents smiled back, understandingly and gave guardian and charge their privacy. When Annabelle's parents were inside the house, Annabelle climbed up to the passenger seat and started chatting. "It's really great to have you back Ironhide. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I missed you too Annabelle. And I don't blame you for being hesitant about seeing my cold offline rusted corps."

"You heard all of that?"

"First thing my audio receptors picked up."

"Oh. Sorry." Ironhide laughed lightly but after that their conversation went dead silent. Then Annabelle knew what she had to say. "Ironhide? What's gonna happen when you die again? I mean everything has to die sometime, and nobody lives forever, right?" Ironhide understood what Annabelle was worried for. She didn't want to see him die again. But he wouldn't last forever and neither would she.

"You're right Annabelle. Every sentient being must die. But what bonds those sentient beings together, never dies. Do you understand Annabelle?" Annabelle pondered her guardian's words for a moment before saying,

"Yeah. We're gonna be friends forever!" Annabelle was suddenly bursting with joy. She ran inside the house calling, "Goodnight Ironhide!" but not looking back. She was probably off to tell her parents about what they'd talked about. Ironhide sighed. Had he just fooled Annabelle and himself into believing in something that was impossible? No. It was true. No force in the universe or beyond, not even death could break away the bond that Ironhide and Annabelle shared. Ironhide made a promise to himself. From that moment on until the end of time, Ironhide would always love and protect the Lennox family, and he and Annabelle would be friends forever.


End file.
